Envelop-sealing machine.



' A. P. MARTBN. ENVELOP, SEALING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

A. F. MARTBN.

ENVELOP SEALING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,191

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.'

3 SHEETS-BEBE! I.

' Swventoz flrZ/zzzrFi/Zafiwg A. F. MARTEN. ENVELOP SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1911.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

3 BHEETE-BKEET 3- fication.

To all whom it may concern:

ARTHUR F. MAR'IEN, 015 STORM LAKE, IOWA,

ENVELOP-SEALING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMar. 4. 1913.

Application filed July 22, 1911. Serial No. 639,965.

Be it'known that I, ARTHUR F. MARTEN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Storm Lake, in the county of Buena' ista and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Sealing Machines, of which the following is a speci- This invention. relates to machines for: sealing envelops, and it has for its object? to produce a machine of this class of snnple and improved. construction whereby envelops may be easily, quickly and eiiectively sealed by first having the flaps moved to an open position, next having moistureapplied to the 'gummed portions of the flaps, next having the flaps restored to a folded position and finally having the flaps compressed soas to cause the gummed portion of the flap to adhere firmly to the body of the envelo Vith these and other ends in view whiclr will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same 0on sists in the improved construction and novel arrangement: and combination of parts.- which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the. claims. In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structuraldetails therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope oft-he claims .may be Iresorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-Figure'1 is aside elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig.3 is a side elevation,

. showing the side' of the machine opposite to that shown inFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front elevation.

3 at the forward end of which is formed an.

upwardly forwardly extending portion 7 constitutipg-an'garm 4g upon-yvhieh the enhung or suspended. by means of-their aps, as indicated. Rising from the base 1 adjacent to thewall or web 3 is a second wall portion 5, the latter being disposed in substantially parallel relation to the wall portherebetween, as indicated, for the passage of the-envelops. v

water box or well '7 having a downwardly extending flange 8v at its outer end said flange serving in conjunction with the .arm 4'to afford bearings for ashaftfl havinga ported in bearings at, the-upper edge of well-7 is a moistening roller '11 which may sorbent material, .such'ascloth, it being desaid roller may be constructed of ,any suit.- able material and that the covering may-be dispensed with, if preferred' One of the shaft 9 from whichinotion may thus be transmitted tothe roller 7 at any desired proportionate sizes of the wheels or pulleys 12' and 14. 'It'is preferred, however, that the moistening roller 11 be driven at-a surface speedsolnewhat exccedin the speed at which: the envelops areinove .by means to be hereinafter described. Y

The'arm tis provided witha lateral ex tension 15 havin a downturned flange portion -16 lying ad acent to the outer face of -the arm Land servin to gradually lift or open the flaps of enve opsguided over said arm until the flaps rest upon the lateral extension 15 which forms a table or support for the flaps. Said table has a slot 17 through which the' moisteningroller pros jects, and upon the table or. supporting memberlf) adjacent to the outer ed etheremeans, such as a set screw 19, said cap plate beingspaced from the support or table and provided with an upwardly curved portion or dome 20 which is concentricwiththe sur- .is slightly spaced, asshown. -The .cap .plate L18 is provided with 0. depending lug 18 lyvelops that are'to be operated upon ma be Supported upon the outer face of thearm 4, adJaCent to the rear end of said arm, is a be constructed ofmetal covered with-ab-- journals'ofthe roller 11 carries a bandwheel 12 which is connected by a beltor band 13 with a wheel or pulley 14. uponthe crank ng adjacent to 'theouter face of the 'sirmt ition 3, and a narrow space 6 being left .crank 1.0 whereby it may-berotatedv SEE.-

sired, however, to be understood thatthe rate of speed which may be gaged bythe of is a cap plate --18 secured by astening face of the moistening roller-from which it and serving sition. The function of the plate 18 is to hold the flaps of the envelops in contact with the surface of the moistening roller from which, however, said presser plate is suficiently spaced to avoid wetting or soiling the same. By formin the well with the downwardly extending ange 8, the main driving shaft 9 which has a bearing in said flange may be positioned entirely beneath a the well, and the band. 13 by which motion is transmitted to the inoistenin roller will be positioned adjacent to one o? the side walls of the well where it will be out of the way of possible interference with the material to be fed or with the hands of the operator, I

A plurality of pairs of feed rollers 21, 22 are supported, respectively, adjacent to the wall portions 3 and 5, said wall portions loe ing provided with slots 23 to permit "the feed rollers to contact with each other. The rollers 21 associated with the wall member 3 are mounted upon vertical shafts 24, the lower ends of which are journaled in the base 1, said shafts being additionally sup: ported by means of brackets 25 extending from the wall member 3, and the rollers are mounted on the shafts above. the bearing brackets 25 so as to be in no Wise obstructed by the bearings or by any portion of the frame structure. The feed rollers 22 are supported for rotation upon resilient arms 26 which are secured by fastening members, such as screws 27, upon the wall member 5.

' The rollers 22 will thus be capable of yielding so as to accommodate themselves to any tlnckness of envelops passing between said rollers and the mating rollers 21. For the purpose of driving the rollers 21- the lower ends of the shafts 24- are equipped with gear wheels 28, some of which receive motion directly from a lower end of a vertic shaft 30 having at its upper end a bevel pinion 31 meshing with a bevel pinion 32 upon. the crank shaft 9, The said crank shaft thus serves not only to drive the moistening roller, but also the shaft 30 having the gear wheel 29 meshing with the gear wheels'28 of two proximate feed roller carrying shafts 24 which will thus be driven in the proper direction. Motion is transmitted from the gear wheel 28 upon one of the shafts 24 to the remaining feed roller carrying shafts 24: by means of idlers which are supported for rotation upon or adjacent to the underside of the base.

An arm 34 extending upwardly from the wall member 5 adjacent to the rear end of the latter is provided with a downturned flange 35 formed with a flaring lip portion 36 for the purpose of engaging the flaps of the envelops to turn said flaps down upon the bodies of the cnvclops. The arm caras a guide to retain the body of,

gear wheel 29 upon the a --1,0as,1so

ers138, the other sealing roller 39v being supported upon a' shaft 40, the lower end of which is supported for rotation in the base 1, said shaft having an additional hearing In a bracket 41 extending from the wall member 3. Thelower extremity of the shaft 41 is equipped with a pinion 42 meshing with one of the idler-s 33.

In the operation of this machine, the envelops that are to be sealed are hung or suspended upon the upper end of the arm 4 and are thence pushed or fed nianually in the direction of flange memberulo serves-to turn up the fia of the envelop until it rests upon the tab e or supporting member 15 being guided beneath the cap plate 18. By this time the envelop will be engaged by the first set of feed rollers and will now be fed positively in a rearward direction, the gunimed portion of the flap being moistened by contact with the roller 11 which, as previously stated, is preferably operated at a surface speed slightly exceeding feed'movement or" the envelop. The iiap having been moistened, the envelop is now fed rearward between the several sets of feed rollers the lower edge of the envelopbeing guided between the parallel walls or guide members, which prevent distortion of the envelop, until the flap is engaged by the flange member 35 having the flaring lip portion 36, whereby the flap is-turned down flatupon the body of the envelop. The

sealing rolls the speed of the latter now asses between the sealin rollers which are positioned to engage the flap on one side and the front face of the envelop on the other side, compressing the lie upon the body of the envelop and completing the sealing operation.

As will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, envelops may be sealed very rapidly and etticiently by the improved device which is simple in construction and. capable of being manufactured and marketed at a moderate price.

Having thus is claimed as new, is

1. In an envelop sealing machine, a base,

spaced wall members rising there'irom inamvz-oximatc parallel relation, one of said well members being provided with an upwardly extending envelop guiding and supporting arm, and said wall members being provided with slots, feed rollers adjacent to the respective wall members and contacting through the slots therein, resilient supporting meansfor the feed rollers adjacent to one wall member, means for positively driving the feed rollers adjacent to the other wall member, flap-opening and moisture a plying means, and means adjacent'to t e described the invention, what rear ends of the wall members for closing the flaps.

2. In an envelop sealing machine, a base, wall members rising therefrom in a proximate parallel relation and spaced or the passage of envelops therebetween, said wall members being provided with slots, feed rollers adjacent to the wall members and contacting through the slots therein, resilient supporting means for the feed rollers adjacent to one wall member, and means for positively driving the feed rollers adjacent to the other wall member.

3. In an envelop sealing machine, a base, wall members rising therefrom in a proximate parallel relation and spaced or the passage of envelops therebetween, said wall members being provided with slots, feed rollers adjacent to the wall members and contacting throu h the slots therein, sealing rollers supporte adjacent to the rear ends of the wall members, resilient supporting means for the sealing and feed rollers adjaf cent to one wall member, a water well, a moistening roller partly submerged therein, a driven shaft, and means for transmitting motion from. said shaft to the moistening roller and to the sealing and feed rollers adjacent to the other wall member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR F. MARTEN.

WVitnesses:

ELMER lVlsn, WM. HAHN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of intents,

Washington, D. G. 

